


The Elder Scrolls V: Aftermath

by Sandals_N_Sorcery



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Genre: Canon Divergent, Fluff, Headcanon, Multi, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 17:23:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20933924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandals_N_Sorcery/pseuds/Sandals_N_Sorcery
Summary: My personal headcanons on what happens after the main quest, the DLCs and the Guild Quests. From J'zargo becoming a Destruction magic teacher at the College of Winterhold to the power brokering of a Civil War. The Dragonborn will be implied but probably won't show up to often, and each headcanon chapter is in its separate universe, even if they could both be in one. (Warning, Not Canon-Compliant).





	The Elder Scrolls V: Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some differences between the canon and my Skyrim continuity.  
> Ulric, and the rest of the Stormcloaks, are not xenophobic to the "Skyrim belongs to the Nords" (although there might be one or two extremists). Its more of a "The Nords are for Skyrim" aka they're isolations/anti-imperial. Makes things actually grey and interesting.  
> Joining the Thieves' Guild is optional, and there is a way to destroy them and also get the Shout.  
> No Essential Status Here ;_0  
> Probably more that will become self-evident in the writing.

Snow. For the life of him, J'zargo has never truly understood how the Nords stand it. J'zargo is warm, both in fur and personality. Yet even he shivers while the others walk around with nothing but cloth. Onmund offers help, buying J'zargo furs and asking Sergius for enchantments. J'zargo supposes that his charm is more effective than he thought. Still. When he wakes up, the cold and the snow do nothing to encourage him. At least the other Khajit know his pain. After arriving at the lecture hall, J'zargo cannot help himself but smile. These new faces are brimmed with confidence and bluster. Just like J'zargo back then. Just like J'zargo now. Let us see if these students can ignite the fire of competition in his heart.

__________

There was a time when Onmund did not believe that where he is now was a possibility. Years ago, he knew that he would have to decide: live his life as hunter or farmer with his family, or run for his dream of practicing magic, leaving them behind in the process. Yet here he is now. The primary scholar on ancient nordic history. Onmund never thought he would see the day his family, and Skyrim, became accepting, or at least less hostile, to magic. While he misses Aren, he can't help but thank the new archmage in setting him on this path. Their travel to Sovngarde and general renown made the college the pride of both Winterhold and Skyrim once again. Onmund's mind turns to the current renovations, trying to rebuild an entire city is difficult, but will be made less so when about a hundred enchanted hammers arrive from the Summerset Isles.

__________

Brelyna's life has been filled with expectations. No room for failure, experimentation or growth. Just expectations and success. When she came to the college, she finally felt free. Free to fail. Free to maker her own mistakes. Free to learn. And as time went on, she did so, eventually even replacing Tolfdir as the college's alteration tutor. She tries to provide a judgement free space to practice and understand magic. Especially for her elven students. She knows the weight that so many feel on their shoulders, and more and more of them are coming every day. Most of them are dunmer, coming from either Windhelm or Blacklight in order to practice their craft in peace. When the archmage assigned her this duty, she was worried; worried that the expectations she had long sought to escape would finally arrive as students looked up to her and outsiders began to recognize the college. Sometimes she feels that old weight. But her friends ease the burden.

__________

The Midden was renovated, now housing the college's more.. controversial or dangerous magics such as atronach summoning. Of course it is all under the watchful eyes of several practiced tutors and hallowed spirits that roam this place. The Midden Dark was shut off from the college, only accessible by head tutors, the master wizard and the archmage. It also houses the bodies of exceptional mages that studied there, to protect their spirits and so they are available to call. The Augur, for his part, approved. The archmage often counsels him on difficult matters, whether hypothetical or real. At the moment, the college is attempting to expand even further, using powerful frost magic to expand the ice and rock it sits upon. It is the same magic used to reinforce Winterhold's coast, a sign of good faith and learned caution.

__________

Arniel's spirit can sometimes be seen walking the halls of the college, but not even the archmage can communicate with him. His research, and the items used, were placed in the Midden Dark, within his empty tomb. His work was deemed to dangerous, and all there is left to do is hope he is enjoying his time with the dwemer.

Colette finally gets the respect she deserves. Even before the war, Skyrim has always had a respect for healers and the restoration school. When the archmage began smoothing out relations in the province, Colette had no shortage of work. Teaching healing spells to priests, enhancing wards and providing turn undead spells. Even in her old age, she's never seemingly out of energy, a benefit she claims of studying a perfectly valid school of magic.

Urag has been the librarian of the college for centuries and, as he often reminds others, he will be the librarian for centuries more. The recent additions to the library have left him busy, constantly translating texts thought long gone. Urag doesn't want to admit it, but he misses the others, Savos especially. He's now the oldest living person in the college, and wonders if his friends are watching him from Aetherius.

No matter how strict or "official" the college becomes, there is always going to be some room for more... profitable ventures. While Enthir has been persuaded from his more dangerous inventory and clientele, new faces means plenty of new customers. A less cynical part of him can't also help but be proud of what's the college become. Enthir wishes Gallus could see this now, although the late guild master might've made off with half of the college's supplies.

Faralda's ascension to Master Wizard was an obvious, if contested, decision on the archmage's part. Tolfdir's age was catching up to him and J'zargo had become more than an expert on all things destruction. She'd be lying if the workload was more than she expected, as the archmage tends to distract themselves with the many hats they wear. Faralda's never been one to shy away from a challenge however, and she eagerly meets each day as an opportunity to grow.

To say Nirya took the news about Faralda's promotion well is... a bold faced lie. She took J'zargo becoming the destruction tutor... just as poorly. But after a few conversations with the archmage, who was rumored to have been hiding behind Urag for most of it, Nirya accepted her new position of college ambassador with grace. While the college remained insular, someone needed to be present when people inevitably came with concerns, demands or comments (Faralda was just happy she didn't have to deal with it).<\p>

It is difficult to keep Drevis' attention for more than a few minutes, unless he's lecturing or working on his illusions. It has only somewhat occurred to him how much more crowded the college has become and how much more work he has to do. Drevis has noticed that the mystic focal points across the college have been running cleaner than usual, a point that he must congratulate the archmage on achieving. But first, he needs to remember why he came down to the Midden...

Not everyone was happy with the changes brought along by the new archmage. For Phinis, the college was fine before all these people started coming in, bothering him from his work. It also meant having to relegate more and more of his studies to the Midden due to things like "safety" and "precaution". Still, at least now people aren't a rogue atronach away from raising pitchforks and torches whenever he goes to town.

__________

When the Eye of Magnus revealed itself, events began to spiral out of control. Quaranir knew that he was taking risk by contacting the dragonborn, but dire times require dire measures. When he named them archmage, it was still a gamble, albeit with much lower stakes. He regrets neither choice. When Shalidor created the college of winterhold, he had wanted to raise the bar for mages everywhere and take magic away from the untrained common folk. For centuries his successors did just that, keeping to themselves. Some of Quaranir's own colleagues would agree with the decision, after all look at what happened to the Mage's Guild a scant 200 years before? The problem with keeping knowledge to yourself however, is that you end up serving no one but yourself. Perhaps this archmage can do what so many wizards and warlocks could not. Quaranir believed they could save the world, so why not believe that they could improve it to? 


End file.
